What will happen in 2014?

The new year is starting folks! And, as usual, people make their predictions for the next one. These are ours:

What will happen with Windows 8.1 and the Microsoft franchises?
The big question: Will people buy Windows machines en masse? If not, what does that mean for the future Microsoft franchises such as Office? We’ll know how this one turned out early in 2014 when tech giants start reporting their results. There are more than a few reasons why Windows worries are warranted. Chromebooks have sold pretty well and there’s a good chance you’re going to see PC makers diversify their OS options. You may even see some Android running PCs.
But there’re also some other trends worth noting. 3D printing is going mainstream. A lot of the coverage around 3D printing will revolve around consumer applications. The real revolution is already about to happen and that will be in the supply chain in 2014. As 3D printing bolsters the supply chain and creates parts on demand there could be a manufacturing renaissance ahead. We’ll all be makers.

For cell phone users and gamers. I mean, everybody!
Should Windows Phone continue gaining market share, app developers will have to start giving the platform its fair share of attention, while at the same time, a group of upstarts in the guise of Firefox OS, Jolla, and Samsung will be looking to steal their piece of the cake from the lower end of the mobile market.
We should also pay attention to Valve’s Steam Machines — not only because it has the opportunity to overturn the PC gaming industry, but also because it is the first reason in a long time that many developers have had to take a second look at building for Linux-based platforms.
Gaming was one of the reasons why Microsoft got into the household, and it could be one of the reasons why it disappears from it too.

What cell-phone am I wearing today?
Today, everybody’s got a smartphone. Tablet prices are crashing and the biggest consumer tech companies are trying to figure out what they can make next to keep the profit rolling in. As such, we’re going to see through 2014 renewed attempts to make wearable technologies – glasses, watches and others – into desirable and useful consumer devices. The devices we’ve seen so far are at best intriguing but flawed; marred by limited capabilities, clunky designs and poor battery life. And they’re being anxiously pushed by hardware manufacturers on a mostly underwhelmed public. But they hold promise – whether that’s in health monitoring or just allowing us to check messages without digging out a smartphone. So next year we will, hopefully, see better versions of these devices.

If you have any doubts, questions or just feel a little curious; don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We can help you out!